Maine
U.S. Navy warship to be christened in Maine for Irish war hero from Long Island who served in Vietnam
Gratitude was in the heart of Colleen Walsh-Irwin as she and her extended family gathered in Bath, Maine, to witness the christening Saturday of the USS Patrick Gallagher, a Navy warship named after her uncle, a decorated U.S. Marine who lived on Long Island.
“It’s such a great honor and tribute to my uncle, who sacrificed so much for the United States, and he wasn’t a U.S. citizen,” Walsh-Irwin, 58, of East Northport, said of her uncle, Lance Cpl. Patrick “Bob” Gallagher. She spoke by phone from Maine a day before the christening of the ship, a DDG 127 guided-missile destroyer.
“It just makes us feel so grateful,” Walsh-Irwin said, referring to the family who traveled from Ireland and Long Island to Maine for the ceremony. “We’re grateful to the Navy and Bath Iron Works for building the ship, and all the people involved in making this dream come true. There were so many behind the scenes for years to make this happen.”
Gallagher was an Irish immigrant — from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo — who had settled in Lynbrook in 1962, joining an older sister, Walsh-Irwin’s mother, Margaret Gallagher Walsh, now deceased. She was the eldest of nine siblings and Gallagher was the second eldest.
Walsh-Irwin said when her mother was a young child, she couldn’t pronounce his name and called him Bob. She said the family called him “Uncle Bob.”
After he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was called to go to Vietnam, he had the choice to go back to his home country. Instead, said his family and others, he chose to serve.
Gallagher, who served in a gunnery unit, was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during a 1966 enemy grenade attack that nearly killed three of his comrades in a foxhole near Cam Lo, in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. He kicked away one grenade, then cradled another to his belly before throwing it into a nearby river.
His Navy Cross citation lauded Gallagher for displaying “valor in the face of almost certain death,” Newsday reported in a 2017 article about Sen. Chuck Schumer’s letter to then-Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer, urging the Navy to recognize Gallagher posthumously by naming a ship after him.
But within a month of receiving his citation from Gen. William Westmoreland, in 1967, Gallagher was dead at the age of 23. He was just days from going home when he was killed in another enemy attack.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of Gallagher: “He was not a citizen, but Patrick was called to serve,” adding that he could’ve gone back to Ireland to avoid service in Vietnam, but didn’t.
“It’s the story of the Irish,” said Schumer. “It’s the story of immigrants. It’s the story of the greatness of America, and the attachment that immigrants for generations have had for serving here, in this case, Irish immigrants for serving our country with valor and loving America’s freedom and willing to die for it.”
Patrick Nealon, commander of VFW Post 2307 in Lynbrook, is among family and supporters who are in Maine for the ship christening. He said Gallagher “could’ve walked away” from serving in Vietnam.
“He said, ‘No. this is my new country. This, I will defend’ … and he went.”
Nealon was among those who sought to get Gallagher recognition. There was a petition drive that several years ago had garnered about 10,000 names. There was also support in Gallagher’s home country. The Dublin Airport commemorated Gallagher’s exploits in 2015 in a series of billboards displayed in its departures area for flights to the United States. And his home village commemorated the 50th anniversary of his death.
Nealon, who is Irish, said of the ship named for Gallagher: “It’s a real proud moment, for all of Ireland and every Irish American in the United States.”
Maine
Northern lights could be visible in Maine on Christmas night. How to look for them
Time lapse video: Northern lights near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
See a time lapse video of the northern lights dance across the sky north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Bayside on Thursday night.
Parts of the United States could be in for a magical Christmas sight: The Northern Lights.
Alaska and the northern Midwest states have the best chance of getting a glimpse of the dazzling sights, but the northern most reaches of New England may see it too, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Based on maps they released, Maine has the best chance of seeing it tonight.
It’s possible more New England states will get a view of the Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, tomorrow night when the view line dips down into Vermont and New Hampshire.
Map of where Northern Lights may be visible on Christmas 2024
Map: Where Northern Lights may be visible tomorrow
Christmas won’t be the only shot at seeing the Northern Lights from this storm. NOAA is predicting a broader swath will be able to see the Northern Lights tomorrow night, including parts of New Hampshire and Vermont.
How to see the northern lights
The best time to see an aurora is when it’s dark out, usually between an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA. Officials recommend getting away from city lights and sticking to lower latitudes.
“There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing,” NOAA said.
Where to check the northern lights forecast
To track the latest northern lights forecast, check out these websites:
Are the northern lights dangerous?
The solar storms that cause the northern lights can affect technology by inducing extra currents in the ground that can degrade power grid operations, according to NOAA.
Maine
Funeral home to hold visitation for Maine singer-songwriter
DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WABI) – Visitation for a popular Maine singer and songwriter who died earlier this month will be held in Dover-Foxcroft next week.
Lary Funeral Home announced that visitation for David Mallett, a Piscataquis County native, will be held Monday, December 30th from 4PM to 7PM.
Mallet died at the age of 73 on December 17th after battling cancer.
The funeral homes announcement said that family, friends, and the local community are invited.
Mallett began his music career at the age of 11 when he started singing in a folk duo with his older brother, Neil.
He started writing his own songs while studying acting at the University of Maine.
His most well-known song was “The Garden Song” which was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, John Denver, Pete Seeger, and The Muppets.
Mallett lived most of his life in Sebec.
Copyright 2024 WABI. All rights reserved.
Maine
Snowfall totals in Maine range from a dusting to 5 inches Tuesday morning
Parts of Maine were reporting a snowy Christmas on Tuesday.
As of 11:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said 6 inches of snow had fallen in Rangeley, 5 inches in Madrid, 1 inch in Freeport, 3 inches in Lewiston and as many as 8 inches in nearby Jackson, New Hampshire.
Portland received only a dusting of snow.
Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said forecasters expected precipitation to slow down in inland areas through Tuesday morning but said snowfall would continue up and down the coast with 1-3 inches expected from Portland through the Midcoast.
Palmer said Christmas Day would be “a pretty nice day” in Maine.
He said the day would start off mostly clear with some clouds building in the middle of the day all around the state. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s.
The forecast is expected to stay until Sunday, when 1 to 2 inches of rain will likely fall around the state. Although, he said, there could still be snow in the White Mountains.
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